La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

;262 HENNEPIN AMONG THE SIOUX. [1680.not far off. An unpleasant walk of a few milesthrough woods and marshes brought them to theborders of a sheet of water, apparently Lake Buade,where five of Aquipaguetin's wives received theparty in three canoes, and ferried them to an islandon which the village stood.At the entrance of the chief's lodge, Hennepin wasmet by a decrepit old Indian, withered with age, whooffered him the peace-pipe, and placed him on a bearskinwhich was spread by the fire. Here, to relievehisfatigue, — for he was well-nigh spent, — a smallboy anointed his limbs with the fat of a wild-cat,supposed to be sovereign in these cases by reason ofthe great agility of that animal. His new fathergave him a bark-platter of fish, covered him with abuffalo-robe, and showed him six or seven of hiswives, who were thenceforth, he was told, to regardhim as a son. The chief's household was numerousand his allies and relatives formed a considerableclan,of which the missionary found himself an involuntarymember.He was scandalized when he sawone of his adopted brothers carrying on his back thebones of a deceased friend, wrapped in the chasubleof brocade which they had taken with other vestmentsfrom hisbox.Seeing their new relative so enfeebled that hecould scarcely stand, the Indians made for him oneof their sweating baths, 1where they immersed him/' These baths consist of a small hut, covered closely with buffaloskins,into which the patient and his friends enter, carefully closing